Thanks to early signing date, Stanford class is still a work in progress

Tom FitzGerald
| on December 20, 2017

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

In this Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, file photo, Stanford head coach David Shaw watches during the first half of an NCAA college football game against California in Stanford, Calif.

Stanford head coach David Shaw announced 10 national-letter-of-intent signings Wednesday, the first day of a new early signing period that he thinks is a bad idea for many recruits.

He said he expects the class to grow to about 16 to 19 by the time the regular signing period begins Feb. 7. Considering that Stanford has a much longer admissions process than most other schools, it’s no wonder that the class is barely more than half done. As a result, it is ranked just 49th in the nation by 247Sports and 66th by Rivals.

Another four-star recruit and the 11th member of the class, defensive end Andres Fox of Mobile (Ala.) Christian, signed Wednesday night, and he could be the cream of the crop. He has received 25 scholarship offers, including ones from Alabama, USC, Georgia, Notre Dame and Penn State.

Four preferred walk-ons also were announced, including outside linebacker Jake Lynch — the son of 49ers general manager John Lynch, a former Stanford player who was a 10-time Pro Bowl safety in the NFL.

Another incoming freshman, Justus Woods of Charlotte, N.C., rated the nation’s 14th-best running back by Rivals, also has a famous relative. His great aunt was singer Ella Fitzgerald.

Two other incoming players signed in 2016 but deferred admission to take part in LDS missions: linebacker Tangaloa Kaufusi and wide receiver Simi Fehoko. Kaufusi spent his mission in Taiwan, Fehoko in South Korea.

Kaufusi, a native of Salt Lake City, could play defensive end, outside linebacker or inside backer, Shaw said. “He changed games toward his last year of high school.” Fehoko, who stands 6-foot-4, is similar to current wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for his size and speed, Shaw said.

The early signing period doesn’t affect Stanford as much as it will other schools, Shaw said, because the long and involved Stanford application process requires prospects to essentially commit themselves early to the Farm.

For recruits at other schools, the early signing period can be a mixed bag. Many of them will be delighted to get the tedious process done, and so will their families, he said

“There are a lot of parents who are throwing a party today,” he said. “They don’t have to answer the phone anymore, or dodge calls from coaches, or open their homes to the ‘golf-shirt parade,’ as we call it, of the coaches coming through.”

On the other hand, he said, some athletes will be pressured by coaches to sign now but will have misgivings later. Athletes who sign and then change their minds might have to go through lengthy appeal processes.

An additional complication is that many athletes pick schools because of relationships they have built over time with head coaches or assistants. At this point, Shaw pointed out, schools are still in the process of filling out their coaching staffs, so a signee suddenly might be without the coach who recruited him.

“I just get anxious about pushing things earlier and earlier and earlier,” Shaw said.

Briefly: The Stanford class is heavy on cornerbacks: Ethan Bonner of Texas, Donjae Logan of Arizona and Kendall Williamson of Georgia. ... West was rated the second-best recruit in Alabama by ESPN and PrepStar. He passed for 1,907 yards and 22 TDs as a senior at Saraland High, giving him 4,869 and 56 in his career. ... Wilson was the all-time leading receiver at Chaminade-West Hills with 2,000 yards.